Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and is experiencing mild symptoms, his office announced.
Patrick, a Republican, is fully vaccinated and received a booster shot in fall of Nevertheless, he will work from home for until next week.
Patrick is running for reelection in Texas and has opposed nationwide vaccine mandates. He has joined Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in criticizing President Joe Biden's administration for its aggressive push for the shots.
"The federal government does not have the ability to strip individuals of their choice to get a vaccine or not," Patrick said of Biden's vaccine mandate last year.
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"If the President thinks his patience is wearing thin, he is clearly underestimating the lack of patience from Texans whose rights he is infringing," he added.
Patrick first tested positive for the virus on January, and he also faced only mild symptoms in that case, according to his office.
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"His symptoms were mild, and no one else in the household was infected," Patrick senior adviser Allen Blakemore said in a statement at the time. "He continues working from home and will return to a public schedule by the end of the week."
Biden himself tested positive for the virus last week. His physicians say he is on the mend and is now only experiencing mild symptoms such as a sore throat and body aches.
"His voice remains deep," the president's physician, Dr. Kevin C. O'Connor, said. "His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain entirely normal. His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear."
